Game 5: Final Pre-Game Notes

This time last Tuesday, things looked very different for the Warriors. David Lee’s injury left a hole in their starting line-up. Andre Miller’s heroics left Denver’s nearly-perfect home record intact. Mark Jackson was left with lots of questions. Over the last three games, he’s found the answers. But the challenge ahead of Jackson in Game 5 may be his toughest yet — log two victories in Denver in a week, against a team that previously hadn’t lost any at home for three months. This is a classic “play for pride” game for the Nuggets, but it is for the Warriors too.

Conventional wisdom says the odds of a Warriors win in Game 5 are low. They’re banged up, on an unfriendly court and playing an opponent in a do-or-die situation. But this series has been so thrilling because it’s turned conventional wisdom on its head. As with all the other games, the challenge tonight will be to adapt and counter. Three potential changes to watch, and some potential Warriors adaptations or counters.

Iguodala on Curry — Karl has toyed with this match-up all series, but said directly during pre-game statements that he’ll rely on it more. Curry needs to be prepared for physical confrontations and his teammates need to keep setting great screens. Klay Thompson — the man Iguodala has been guarding for much of the series — stands to benefit from Karl’s adjustment if the Warriors can get him the ball (and Klay can knock down his shots). The move to put Iguodala on the ball also may weaken the Nuggets’ help defense. Iggy is often the Nugget dropping back into the paint against penetration or providing a double when the ball drops into the post. Bogut, Landry and Barnes should have a little bit easier time finding daylight while he’s otherwise occupied.

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Curry or Jack on Lawson — Before Curry caught fire late in the third quarter, the hot hand belonged to Ty Lawson. He had his way against both Curry and Jack, putting both in risk of foul trouble on his way to a 15 point (7-10 FG) quarter. It was one of the only things that worked for the Nuggets on Sunday, so I expect them to go back to it. Thompson did an excellent job late in the third quarter and early in the fourth cooling off Lawson. But if Thompson goes back to guarding Iguodala (as he has for most of the series), Curry or Jack will need to prove that they can handle the Nuggets’ star guard. Look for the Nuggets to shuttle the offense back and forth to the man Thompson isn’t guarding. The Warriors will need to counter with tough defensive performances from the entire backcourt.

McGee on Bogut — Pre-game rumors have McGee starting at center, so George Karl has set up a rematch of Game 4’s most entertaining match-up. Bogut has to be feeling confident against McGee. We’ll see if the Warriors dump the ball to him early in an attempt to get him going. While the Bogut dunks were only a few baskets in Game 4, they established the Warriors as the aggressors physically. If the Nuggets’ confidence is shaken from three straight losses, some early aggression by the Warriors may be just the thing to finally put them over the edge. Ultimately, McGee is a gamble for the Nuggets — he can be electric when focused but is famous for the times when he’s not. In an emotionally charged game like this one, there may be some extracurricular activities.

Jackson went out of his way to paint this as just another game and players said pre-game that he hadn’t done anything different leading up to tonight’s potential clincher. But no matter how much everyone may try to downplay it, history hangs over this game. The Warriors have won a single playoff series in the past 22 years. It was 1987 the last time the Warriors closed out a playoff series on the road. This may be just another game to Mark Jackson, but to Warriors fans, it could be a little bit of vindication for years of frustration and misery.

“Clarification on Steph Curry’s physical condition. He did get a shot, as reported before Game 4, but it was not for

his sprained left ankle but more for a contused left buttock that restricted his stride. (He can’t remember when he landed hard on it in Game 3, he just knows he did.) That’s what coach Mark Jackson saw that he didn’t like and that’s why he sat him early on in Game 4. His biggest issue coming into Game 5 was his right eye, which was still red from being poked in the second half on Sunday. He was still experiencing some blurriness, compounded by the high-altitude dryness, and using eye drops to combat all that.”

still a chance if we can stop making mistakes, our defense stopped them for about 4 minutes there and can do it again, they are feeling the pressure

sartre

Apologies to Ezeli, that was a terrible call.

Zume

Jack can’t guard Miller, no, need Green or Klay on him

Clyde Frazier

Whoever plays D will win the game……Denver has the middle wide open, but keeps shooting jumpers. Dubs need some boards and then run to daylight.

Zume

What is wrong with Bogut, he has sat the whole 4th

…scotch

For it to be a moving screen Ezeli would had to be moving against the man guarding Curry…not Iguadola AWAY FROM THE BALL!

sartre

I love the fight they’ve shown in the 4th quarter. It augurs well for Game 6.

monsta

Frustrating to have the game taken out of their hands, but the Nuggets know those calls were bogus, too. They escaped with a narrow win — with some help — and they know it. Warriors in great shape for Game 6.

Zume

Those Klay and Curry misses at the end, that close

I yiyi yi

Tip your hat Denver was better for three q

Col, now you get to see them take at home

No Glory for the Nuggets this game We almost pulled it out

Go Warriors

ORCLE

…scotch

Classy effort by the Dubs when not at their best…bodes well for Thursday.

(Look forward to Chris Cohans post tomorrow…not)

Son of Ahmed

Bad officiating.

But why the hell did Jackson not have Bogut play in the 4th quarter. He has been the difference in this series and he sits him? Really?

Zume

I think Bogut is not healthy and he was saving him for game 6.

I yiyi yi

We can hold our heads high, down 22 and came back all the way to 5 before the refs showed their true colors.

But what a wonderful game by Harrison, just beautiful.

Thursday we close it

Go warriors

bryhsiao

Ezeli helped us come all the way back in the 4th.
Refs robbed us again.

AI touched the ball last before going out of bound.
Same black yoda ref made that call.

Ezeli was just walking towards the paint while AI bumped him. On the way.
Refs called an offensive foul..

Ezeli put back the shot while being pushed by fareid -> no Andrew.

Good thing though finally finally MJack realized we need ed defense and rebounds to come back.

Ezeli will remember this game and work like a maniac in the offseason.
His layup gave us a huge boost and his physicality gave denver troubles.
MJack better inks this comeback in his brain.

Small with no d and no rebounds –> get killed inside and then get killed outside.

strummer

Anyone catch Curry coming back out to get into it with a fan that said something to him on his way off the floor? too bad the cameras cut away to commercial…as green and bogut had just gotten there.

JEY

Revitalized play from the Denver bigs. If Jackson really did know they would do that, I’m surprised that he used Green for minutes at C. It was terrible watching us get picked apart the first three quarters. Dubs had no place being that close in the fourth.

SoA: Coors Light Diet crowd for sure. Got nothing on Roaracle.

Dubcakes

I think the refs were similar to the Lakers game. Felt bad for our team. Lots of gang up on Steph.

sartre

Matt Steinmetz:

“I don’t usually play this game but … where was Bogut? Am I missing something?”

Alan Hahn:

“Jackson’s had a hell of a year in GS, but playing Ezeli down the stretch? 3 TOs, 3 missed FTs and several blown coverages.”

strummer, I missed it but one of the journos caught the moment:

Gary Lee:

“Whoa… Steph verbally going after a fan after the game … Y’all see that?”

JanG

For playoff basketball, the refs have been calling these games as if there were in the Summer League! JJ was iff all night and gad way too many turnovers. And MJax needs to develop plays to get Curry open.
All in all, we were a three pt shot from being in it at the end. We were down by 9 in the 3rd Q but let AI go off. Too big a hill to climb!

WTF

Officials: Ron Garretson, Tony Brothers, Eric Lewis

Tony B was the ref that made most of the phantom calls in the last
Lakers game. The league wouldn’t dare assign him to a play-off game in Oakland, better pray they don’t assign him to game 7 if there is one.

WTF

Bogut has to be injured, why would he not be in at crunch time?

bryhsiao

I saw that curry was pissed after a teenager said something and though t curry wont respond.

I like a pissed curry for the home game.

Also Brewer is the most annoying player I’ve seen in the playoffs.
Marcus II tweeted curry still has blurriness on his bloodshed eye.

Dubcakes

Coltraning: Unfortunately, we lost this one.. They literally prevented Curry from doing anything tonight, just a bad night all around. They outplayed us, wanted it more than us. Hopefully, the game you go to will bring it. At least, more rest for all the players..Curry needed it the most.

sartre

Tim Kawakami

“Steph Curry definitely agreed that he thought Denver was targeting him. And he’s absolutely fired up about it.”

Marcus Thompson:

“Curry was NOT a happy camper in the locker room”

El Topo

W’s won Q3 and Q4…too bad they were down by 20 at the half.

Iggy was noy goimg out without a fight. Denver circled the wagons. I hoped they would then shoot inward…no such luck.